Wave-motor.



No. 6721185. Patented Apr. la, 19m.

, P. B. TmGLEv.

WAVE MOTOR.

(Application led July 30, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

IHIH

. malin z lll WITNESSES. NVENTOR.

.MMIII |II 3 No. 672,085. Patentedmpr. le, lem.

P. B. TINGLEY.

(Application led July 30, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

WITN ESSES.

|NVENTOR.

No. 672,085. i

l N 0 M o d e P. INGLEY.

MOTOR.

edJuly 30,

WITNESSES. ul. im

Patented Apm I6, I90L INVENTOR.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILO B. TINGLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WAVE-MOTO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 672,085, dated April16, 1901. Application filed July 30,1900. Serial No. 25,230. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it' may concern:

Beit known that I, PnILo B. TINGLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, county` of New York, State of New York, haveinvented a-new and useful Wave- Motor, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention has for its object to provide a motor capable of respondingto the motion of waves and so constructed as to utilize wave-power inthe production of continuous rotary motion.

In order to understand the operation of my invention, it is necessary tounderstand the action of waves upon which the invention depends. Theprinciple of wave action may be briefly stated as follows: Suppose, forexample, that waves are rolling inward toward the shore. I havediscovered by numerous experiments that it is only the masses of waterin the waves that are at any moment moving toward the shore. Thesemasses of water I therefore term live Water7 and the water between thewaves dead-water. By that I mean water that is practically motionless sofar as any appreciable movement toward the shore is concerned. Thelive-t. e., the active or moving water in each wavebegins where the wavecommences to rise above the normal water-line, and this mass Vof wateris continually moving inward toward the shore, there being, however,between the waves-c'. e. masses of live or moving waterareas of dead ormotionless water, so far as any movement toward the shore is concerned.In order to fully utilize this principle of wave motion, I have deviseda motor consisting, essentially, of a series of screws so connected to ashaft as to carry said shaft forward when the screws are acted upon by awave or mass of live water, each screw, however, becoming not onlyinoperative, but being disconnected from the shaft the instant a waveceases to act upon it, so that none of the screws are at any timecompelled to carry dead-water, an-d the entire force of the live waterupon the blades of the screws is utilized to drive the shaft forward, asis fully set forth in the following description and the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, reference characters beingused to designate the several parts.

Figure lis an elevation, partly broken away, illustrating one mode inwhich I have utilized the principle of my invention; Fig. 2, an endelevation as seen from the left in Fig. 1, one portion being in verticalsection; Figs. 3 and 4, detail views, on an enlarged scale, illustratinga form of clutch mechanism which I have found admirably adapted for useas a connection between the hubs of the screws and the shaft; Fig. 5,aside elevation illustrating another form in which I have carried theprinciple of myinvention into eect; Fig. 6, an end elevationcorresponding with Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a sectional View, on agreatly-enlarged scale, on the line 7 7 in Fig. 6; Fig. 8, a section onthe same scale of one of the clutchwheels on the power-shaft; Fig. 9, aView corresponding substantially with Figs. 2 and 6, but showingadditional series of screws geared to the power-shaft; and Fig. l0 is adiagrammatic view illustrating the action of waves upon the screws of mynovel motor.

A denotes pontoons or floats, which may be of any ordinary or preferredconstruction or design; B, framework secured to and supported. by thepontoons; C, screws, and D the power-shaft.

In the form illustrated in Figs. l to 4., inclusive, the power-shaft isshown as journaled in boxes 25, supported by the framework between thepontoons. The size, design, and general construction of the pontoons orfioats is a matter to be left to the judgment of the builder, as thesefeatures of construction must be regulated to a certain extent by thespecial requirements of the use to which the motor is to be placed. Inthe present instance I have shown the space in the interior of thepontoons as divided into compartments 26 by means of a longitudinal wall27 and transverse walls 28. The dotted line F inthe drawings indicatesthe water-line. It should be understood, however, that the depth towhich the pontoons, and with them of course the screws, are submerged isa matter that requires to be regulated to a certain extent in accordancewith the conditions of use, the height, and power ofthe waves, dac. Ihave shown the pontoons as provided with upper and lower valves, which Ihave designated, respectively, by 29 and 30. Itis of course wellunderstood that it is common to increase or decrease the submergence ofpontoons and other floating bodies by admitting water when it is desiredto submerge them to a greater extent and by pumping in air and forcingout water when it is desired to raise them relatively to the water-line.This I contemplate doing in any ordinary or preferred manner, andtherefore make no illustration of means for accomplishing the desiredresult, as specifically it forms no portion of my present invention. Inthe present instance I have shown the power-shaft as provided with abevel gear-wheel 31, which meshes with a bevel-pinion 32 on a verticalshaft 83, said vertical shaft carrying at its upper end a bevelgear-wheel 34, which meshes with a bevel-pinion 35 on a shaft 36,whichmay be the power-shaft of a dynamo E or may be geared to mechanism ofany character to which itis desired to impart motion. The screws C inthis form are mounted on the main shaft, to which they are connected bymeans of clutches G, which may be of any ordinary or preferredconstruction and which permit the screws to turn backward freely on thepower-shaft, but which carry said power-shaft when they are drivenforward. I have found in practice that a simple form of roller andincline clutch, such as I have illustrated in the drawings, meets therequirements perfectly. The hubs 37 of the screws are shown as providedwith recesses 1G, adapted to receive rollers or balls 17,which liebetween said hubs and the powershaft, said recesses on one side runninginto inclines 18, so that when the screws are turned toward the right,as shown in Fig. 3, as by the action of the live water of waves, therollers or balls will lock the screws to the power-shaft and the screwswill carry the power-shaft, and when the screws are turned backward orare held stationary by the deadwater between waves the rollers or ballsin the hubs of the special screws which are in deadwater will lie in therecesses, so that the entire power generated by the action of the wavesupon other screws will be utilized to carry the power-shaft forward,none of the power of the screws that are in live water being wastedthrough dragging of the screws that are in dead-water. The special sizeof the screws is not of the essence of my invention. They may be, forexample, from one to two feet or more in width, and any number of screwsthat is well within the strength of the frame may be placed in a series.In practice the screws may be placed close together, Fig. 1 of thedrawings indicating that they are separated by washers 3S.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive, the screws are shownas provided with journals 24, which turn in hubs 10 in the framework andcarry oblique`gearwheels 11. These oblique gear-wheels mesh with obliquegear-wheels 12 on shafts 13, which carry at their other ends obliquegear-wheels 14, said oblique gear-wheels 14 meshing withcorrespondingly-toothed clutch-gears l5 on the power shaft D, which inthis form is journaled in standards 19, supported by the framework. Thespecial lnanner in which the shafts lvare supported is not of theessence of my invention. I have shown the upper ends of said shafts asjournaled in arms 20, extending from standards 19, and the lower ends ofsaid shafts as journaled in brackets 2l, which are clamped, by means ofbolts 22, upon the hubs 10. Brackets 2l are in practice provided withvertical recesses to receive the gear-wheels 1l on journals 24 and withhorizontal recesses to receive the gear-wheels 2 on shafts 13.

It will of course be understood that a machine adapted for general usemust be made long enough so as to be acted upon by more than one wave ormass of live water at a time. In order to accomplish this result, I makethe framework and series of screws long enough so that under ordinaryconditions from three to five or six waves or masses of live water willbe acting upon screws in each series simultaneously. It follows,therefore, that continuous rotary motion will be imparted to thepower-shaft, although it is not unlikely that half, more or less, of thescrews will be inactive at any given instant, a screw that is inactiveone instant being active the next, and vice versa. It should be noted,however, as a vitally-important feature of my invention that no matterhow many of the screws may be inactive none of the inactive screws dragupon the power-shaft to the slightest extent; but the entire powergenerated by the active screws is always transmitted to the power-shaft.

As indicated in Fig. 9, there may be a greater number of lines of screwsthan is indicated in Figs. 2 and 6, said Fig. 9 representing four linesof screws and live floats or pontoons.

As indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 10, by means of the curved lineswhich meet to form points above the screws, the floats and lines ofscrews are of such length that a plu-- rality of waves (three in saidfigure) will be acting simultaneously. In said Fig. 10 also the screws Care indicated as varying in diametrical size, so as to form severalsubseries of screws, the middle ones of the subseries being larger thanthe end ones.

As show nin the drawings, particularly in the form represented in Figs.l and 2, the pontoons or oats have a considerably greater height thanthickness and are elongated to a considerable extent, while the screwsare arranged in alinement with each other on a shaft between twopontoons or floats. The space between the latter forms a channel orsluiceway for so much of the surface of the water as is inclosed by saidpontoons. Where there are a -number of lines of screws side by side withpontoons between them, each line of screws will be in a sluiceway orchannel. Therefore when the motor is anchored or otherwise secured withone end pointed in the direction IOO los

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from which the waves are approaching the water passing between thelioats must go through the screws without being deiiected laterally bycontact with the blades of the screws,

In both forms of construction illustrated in the drawings all of thescrews of each series are arranged in alinement with each other, and theindividual clutches between the screws and the shaft driven thereby arearranged to operate in the same direction for all of the screws of theseries. In other words, none of the screws clutch the shaft when turningbackward and only when moving forward. The clutches are independent ofeach other and all are arranged to connect with the shaft to drive it bya uniform direction of rotation and topbe disconnectedv from the shaftwhen there is either a tendency of a particular screw to move backwardor to remain stationary while the shaft is being driven by other screws.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A wave-motor consistingessentially of a Ypower-shaft, a series of screws alined upon a com monaxis of rotation, and clutch mechanism intermediate the screws and thepowershaft and operating in the same direction for all of the screws,whereby when screws are turned forward by the action of waves thepower-shaft will be carried thereby and screws not turned forward willbe disconnected from the power-shaft and dragging thereby prevented.

2. A wavemotor consisting of 'a powershaft, a series of screws mountedthereon and a clutch between each screw and the powershaft, saidclutches acting to connect the screws to the power-shaft when the screwsare turned forward and to disconnect all screws from the power-shaftwhile said screws are not being turned forward so that none of thescrews at any time drag upon the powershaft.

3. A wave-motor consisting essentially of a power-shaft, a series ofscrews alined upon a common axis of rotation, said shaft and screwsbeing supported in a horizontal plane to be acted upon by the surfaceaction of the waves, and clutch mechanism intermediate the screws andthe power-shaft and operating in the same direction for all of thescrews, whereby when screws are turned forward by the action of wavesthe power-shaft will be carried thereby and screws not turned forwardwill be disconnected from the powershaft and dragging thereby prevented.

4. A wave-motorconsisting essentially of a power-shaft, a series ofscrews in alinement with each other, said screws and shaft having abuoyant float orsupport adapted to lnaintain the shaft and screws in ahorizontal plane, and clutch mechanism intermediate the screws and thepower-shaft and operating in the same direction for all of the screws,whereby when screws are turned forward by the action of waves thepower-shaft will be carried thereby and screws not turned forward willbe disconnected from the power-shaft and dragging thereby prevented.

5. A wave-motor consisting of a powershaft, a series of screws mountedthereon and a clutch between each screw and the powershaft, saidclutches acting to connect the screws to the power-shaft when the screwsare turned forward and t0 disconnect al1 screws from the power-shaftwhile said screws are not being turned forward so that none of thescrews at any time drag upon the powershaft, said shaft and vscrewsbeing mounted upon a oating or buoyant support adapted to maintain saidscrews and shaft in a horizontal plane.

6. Awave-motor comprising apower-shaft, and a series of screws alinedupon a common axis of rotation,and having clutch connections with saidshaft, the clutches being independent of each other but all arranged toconnect with the shaft to drive it by a uniform direction of rotation ofthe screws.

'7. A wave-motor comprising a series of screws mounted upon one shaftand having clutch connections therewith, the clutches being independentof each other but all arranged to connect with the shaft to drive it bya uniform direction of rotation of the screws.

8. A wave-motor comprising a series of screws mounted upon one shaft andhaving clutch connections therewith, the clutches being independent ofeach other but all arranged to connect with the shaft to drive it by auniform direction of rotation of the screws, said screws and shaft beingmounted on a doating or buoyant support adapted to maintain the seriesof screws in a horizontal plane.

9. A wave-motor comprising a pair of narrow elongated and relativelyhigh pontoons or fioats arranged to form a channel or sluiceway betweenthem, a power-shaft supported by said floats, a series of screws inalinement with each other in the channel between the iioats, and clutchmechanism intermediate the screws and the power-shaft, the clutchesbeing independent of each other and all arranged to connect with theshaft to drive it by a uniform direction of rotation of the screws.

10. A wave-motor comprising a series or train of screws in alinementwith each other, means for supporting said series upon the surface of abody of water and in a direction from which waves are approaching, saidseries being extended so as to be in contact with a plurality of waves,a power-shaft, and independent clutch connections between the screws andthe shaft.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PHILO B. TINGLEY.

Witnesses:

S. M. PECK, G. F. TREMAIN.

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